


Bring me home

by Sicario



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Violence, Crime Fighting, Cross-species Relationship, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Gang Violence, Gazelle is bad at small talk, Gun Violence, Kamau is just grumpy, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Predator/Prey, Slow Burn, T.A.M.E. Shock Collars (Zootopia), eventually, they get over it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-11-30 23:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sicario/pseuds/Sicario
Summary: Gazelle gets kidnapped, somehow gets away, makes an iffy political deal, becomes hiking buddies with her “natural predator”,  and finds out this whole kidnapping ordeal ran deeper than she thought.





	1. Quit bickering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where's Gazelle?

 

The sound of the radio was nearly inaudible under the shaking and rumbling of the sedan as it sped down the bumpy sideroad.

A female reporter's clear voice cuts through. 'Pop Star sensation, Gazelle, has been missing for two days after her housecleaner, Elle Wilson, discovered that Gazelle's Sahara villa had been trashed. A large window lining the back of the residence had been broken, indicating a break in. Elle seemed distressed after her discovery, reporting that she hadn’t seen or heard from the celebrity in two days. Blood stains were found, scattered on the broken furniture and carpet in the living room. Evidence of a struggle was discovered in the front yard when authorities spotted hoof marks leading up from Gazelle's back door. Authorities claim they are taking immediate action and determining if DNA evidence can be utilized and a search of the surrounding area.'

 

“Turn that shit off. The police don't have a clue where we are, stop being paranoid.” Stated the large bobcat in the driver’s seat, clearly annoyed.

 

The red panda to his right shivered, his eyes doubtful. “We should've never taken this job. Without collars, we're done if the feds find us!"  
  
The bobcat rolled his eyes, shutting the radio off as soon as the red panda turned it back on. “That’s why we’re taking a shortcut, dumbass. Boss already set up a safe house in the woods, after this bit, we're in the clear.”

He laughed a bit, smirking and looking over at the panda and elbowing his nervous companion. Boss says we're gonna be millionaires.”  
  
The red panda turned to look out on the road as the empty street got darker. “Boss says a lot of stuff, and then people go missing," He replies, pointedly looking in the bobcat's direction.

  
The bobcat growled as he slowed the car to turn into a trail leading into the woods. “You better ditch the attitude before we're in front of the boss because I swear if you ruin this for me-” He threatened, pointing at the panda.

 

The panda continued on, unmoved. “Yeah, right Steve. All you want is more profit.  You're just afraid of killing me off is only gonna piss the boss off. And we both know you’ve already done plenty of that,” He said seethingly.

 

Steve’s eyes grew angered. “Watch it, short stack. If more profit is my motivation, I could ditch you right here."

 

“How's this for being short?!” The panda flicked him in the nose, causing the car to jerk out of control as Steve threw himself back. “How do you like it, huh?!"

 

Steve pushed the smaller animal off of him. “Are you crazy?! We got merchandise in the trunk, the boss doesn't want her battered!” Steve yelled. He took the panda’s head, pushing it against the window as he flailed his arms uselessly.

 

“Get- OFF!,” The panda yelled, shoving the cat back into the door and successfully rocking the car a bit off balance. "It's a bit too late for that! You beat her like some kind of punching bag! Talk about ruining this for us!"  The Predators continued to fight, unaware of what was taking place in the trunk of their vehicle.

 

During the commotion, they had successfully jostled the trunk of the small vehicle open. In there, laid the beaten and battered upcoming star, Gazelle. Her heart pounded in her chest as she saw the sky for the first time in hours and experienced fresh air again. This was her second chance, as the first hadn't gone as she planned. She screamed and screamed when she first woke up. They eventually taped her mouth shut and kicked her in the stomach that her efforts were futile. But, now? Now was her chance to escape.

 

Gazelle could barely hear the predators bickering with each other as the car shook with every harsh word thrown at the other. Her ankle was twisted, one eye was swollen shut, and she likely had a broken rib, but seeing as she was unsure when another moment like this would occur- she had no choice than to escape now.

 

She willed her legs over the rusted metal edge of the trunk, her fluffy white robe brushing over the edge. She didn’t have nearly enough strength in her arms to push her body over before she the argument suddenly came to a halt.

 

“Goddammit, we’re already late! We'll sort this out late!” One of them yelled. “For now, we gotta hope we don’t get our asses whooped when we get there.”

 

“Or killed," Said the other. 

 

Gazelle’s heart pounded, the cat pressed down father on the pedal in the midst of her escape, jerking her forward and almost out of the vehicle. Ground raced below her as she hung on, bouncing side to side as they hit rocks on the trail floor.

 

She hung on for her life before spotting the dense greenery behind the vehicle that began to flood the trail. _If I let go there, maybe I’ll-_ But there was no time to think and she was thrown off the back when the car hit a fallen branch, running right through it.

 

She tumbled to the ground rolling several times before hitting a log which took the breath out of her lungs.

 

She coughed harshly, lungs on fire and her heart racing. She hurt everywhere, it was painful to even lift her head up to survey her surroundings. The car was well off, continuing on the path without stopping. She looked behind her.

 

It was beginning to become dark and she was unable to spot the exit to the trail they entered from. Daylight was fading. If she was planning to survive this, she had to make the best of it.

 

Tears flooded her eyes as she curled in on herself. The initial adrenaline wore off long ago. She tugged at the tape encompassing her wrists and ankles. Luckily the car tore the tape a bit and she was able to get one ankle loose. The gag stayed secure in her mouth, tied tightly around her pounding head. There was no yelling for help.

 

She cried, moaning in pain as reality hit her that she might not make it back alive. She began to hyperventilate before calming herself down. _Now isn’t the time to panic, save that for the press._ Unable to wipe her tears, she hoisted her upper body onto the log she hit, hissing as she felt her ribs grinding together. _Yep, broken rib. Spectacular._ With shaky legs, she began to stand up carefully before turning the other direction, hunched over.

 

Gazelle let out a deep breath, scanning her eyes across the wooded landscape.  _Deep breaths,_ She told herself,  _Deep breaths._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, don't be afraid to leave a kudo or a comment. :-) Definitely more to come.  
> -Sicario/Audacieux


	2. Rough Hike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to make a story focusing on Gazelle and one of my own original characters for a long time now, I hope y'all enjoy!

Gazelle thought she could push through, she really did. The extent of her injuries kept her from making decent progress, she had to stop every five minutes in order to catch her breath and rest her aching ankle. It was three hours later before she finally made out of the woods.The stars were bright here due to the little light pollution, street lamps lined the sides of the road, some flickering and some completely broken. Gazelle sat down on the side of the road, exhausted despite her short hike. It was chilly out, she had to wrap her thin arms around herself in order to keep warm. Her fluffy robe wouldn’t keep the cold out for long. Animals such as herself who typically live in the Sahara region of the city tend to not fare well in colder temperatures.

The same applies to creatures of the colder and arctic regions who would easily overheat in her district. Perhaps there was a gas station somewhere, a place where she could warm up, perhaps phone the police. The prospect of her standing up and limping her way to some gas station, who knows where, wore her out.

Not only that, she’s eighty percent sure something got stuck deep in her hoof. Unfortunately, her ability to check for such an injury was impossible with her hands taped together. She huffed, standing back up and shivering from a cold gust of wind. How animals could even live in this type of weather baffled her, the wind blew through her like she had no fur at all.Four hours of limping and nearly freezing her poor tail off later, she was slowly but surely making her way atop a  hill crest even as the wind blew hard against her. _Screw these damn wanna-be gangsters, kidnapping me when I just got out of the shower. If I didn’t have some sense of chastity, they probably would’ve left me with no clothes at all._

She was now panting, hunching down to catch her breath when she finally made it to the crest. It was a bit difficult to see considering one of her eyes was swollen and the other filled with tears from either the chilling cold or her more morbid thoughts. She saw a light in the distance, shining beyond the broken and flickering street lights. The light blurred in her vision, and it was harder to tell if she saw one, two, seven?

She wiped her eye and snout the best she could with her constrained hooves to try and get a better view. The light or _lights_ seemed larger now, and see watched in silent awe as  they grew brighter, larger, and... were there two lights a second ago? Her eyes widened and she flung her body to the side of the road, nearly tumbling down the side. She whipped her head around as the truck flew past her, neglecting to stop and check on the person they nearly _killed_ on the road behind them.

“Que Chinagados?!,” She screamed at the truck through the makeshift gag.  _I stand in the middle of the fucking road with my hooves tied and a gag around my fucking mouth, and this asshole decides to nearly run me over._ She stomped a hoof on the ground angrily before whimpering in pain at her sudden outburst. She felt warm liquid start to pool below her hoof. She completely forgot about something sharp being stuck in it. A twisted ankle on one foot and she’s nearly bleeding out on the other, can this day get any better? She started to limp again, trying to make any progress she could.

After an hour more or so of painful limping, recognized the large rectangular pink and yellow sign of a _Pawline’s Gas and Grocery_ shining like the light of heaven down the street. She limped between the gas pumps, glancing around as she made her way to the entrance. There wasn't a car in sight, disregarding an old pickup truck that sat like a decorative piece of furniture on the side of the gas station. It got her heart pounding a bit faster at the notion that even the store employees might be absent.

She let out a breath when spotting the ‘open’ sign shining brightly on the doubt doors entering the store. She limped to the entrance, noticing the doors weren't automatic. She rolled her eyes. Gazelle burst in, using her body weight to open the door before searching for the checkout counter. She furrowed her furry eyebrows in confusion as the counter was empty, void of any employee. Suddenly getting a bit desperate, she began to limp through the isles before spotting a large, furry creature an isle over. lazily restocking drinks to the fridges.

 _Alright, a little intimidating, but you can do this._ She approached the grizzly carefully. _Juuuust tap him on the shoulder._ She reached her arms up, accepting that she’d only be able to tap the middle of their back as awkward as it sounded. Grizzly bears weren’t known for being small animals. She stood a decent distance away, just in case. _Just in case of what? They’re not gonna eat me…., right?_ Too buried in her thoughts, Gazelle neglected to notice the growing pool of blood beneath her hoof, causing her to slip and hit the grizzly in the back. She fell on her snout while grizzly jumped nearly two feet in the air and stumbled back, away from her.

 “Oh my god,” Said this grizzly in nearly a whisper before looking down towards gazelle’s feet as she laid on the ground.“Oh. My. God. You’re bleeding! Oh my god, and you’re _gagged_ ?! Oh god…,” The grizzly rambled as they searched around aimlessly. She looked back at gazelle. Hitting herself on the face with paw. “Oh, _right._ Here, here,” The grizzly offered her large paw out, offering to help her stand up. Gazelle stared at the paw, unsure of what to do. The grizzly looked towards Gazelle’s hooves once again.

 “Oh right, I’m sorry. Would it be better if I lifted you?” She pointed a large thumb behind her. “There’s a room in the back with an emergency med kit. I-I’m not too good with blood but I can do a decent patch job? I-is that okay?” Gazelle came out of her initial surprise, slowly nodding her head. “Yeah, yeah okay,” She said eventually, forgetting the gag prevented her from talking.

 "You know what, I'm just gonna take that as a yes," She said before carefully gripping Gazelle’s shoulders to lift her up. “Sorry if this is a bit uncomfortable, but I don’t want to move your legs too much since it looks like you twisted one pretty bad.” “It’s fine,” Gazelle replied uselessly, now weaving in and out  consciousness as she discovered she was in semi-safe hands. Unfortunately her caretaker seemed pretty determined to keep her awake.

 “Oh, no! I need you to stay awake for this part, don’t fall asleep just yet...not yet,” She told as she laid her head down on the plastic fold up table in the back of the building. “Real lucky that we’re in the middle of getting a new manager. The room’s cleared out and I don’t have to hear Brenda’s yapping about bringing in some random stranger-” The pain was becoming a bit much to handle with the grizzly’s rambling. Gazelle struggled to form coherent words. “Urrmphhh, umphh!” Not exactly what she had in mind, but hopefully her point got across.

 The grizzly turned back to her hands up, looking shameful. “Oh, sorrryyy. I get so caught up sometimes.” She face palmed, turning around and digging through a plastic tub full of what looked to be medical supplies. “Stupid, stupid, Tammy. There’s a person bleeding to death in front of you and you start ranting about your old manager,” She muttered.“Okayy, okay, right. Gauze. Got that.”

 She ran back to gazelle before moving to her leg. “I-It’s gonna be alright, okay...” The bear said unsurely as she began to soak cotton balls with what looked to be bottle of rubbing alcohol. Her voice traveled farther and farther from Gazelle as she gave into her exhaustion. At this point, there wasn’t any staying awake for the painful part she knew would come. She could see a blurry image of the bear turning back to her before hearing fading words from the Grizzly, Tammy was it? Hopefully when she woke up,  _if_ she woke up.

The gentle bear blurred into the white ceiling, fading into darkness.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed don't be afraid to leave a kudo or maybe even a constructive comment for future reference; I'm always looking to improve my writing. More to come!  
> -Sicario/Audacieux


	3. Don't mess up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look on the inside of the operation to kidnap Gazelle, and the introduction of the ice cold mob boss with no mercy to spare.

 

Steve stared down into the empty trunk before him with shock. His paws remain clenched to the trunk door. The red panda, Fred, stood a few feet away, greeting an otter as he guarded the door to the well-hidden cabin in the woods.

“It was a rough ride, gettin' her here. She won’t be as, um, _unscathed_ as boss asked her to be…,” Fred told the otter, glancing back at an unmoving steve. The otter didn’t seem to be concerned with the information and waved Fred off to go and retrieve their special guest. Fred nodded and retreated to the truck before tapping Steve on the shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Pull her out already, boss is waiting on us-” Fred stood on his toes, successfully peeking inside the car to discover it empty. He slowly lowered himself down, looking over at Steve, his eyebrows knit together.

“Steve…..where is she?,” He asked.

Steve didn’t reply at first. He closed the trunk. “Sh-she was here when we were on the road, I could hear her screamin’. Hell, we duct taped her wrists and legs so she couldn’t get away!”  
  
Fred shushed him, peeking at the now suspicious otter behind them. “Keep it down!" He half shouted. "Something’ must’ve shook her lose-" "Shook her loose?! In the trunk of the car?!" Steve yelled. "She was out cold after we gagged her!” Fred put his hand over his snout in deep thought before saying ",Maybe she fell out when we was blastin’ down that trail, I mean look, the lock’s busted.

Steve pounded his fist on the top of the trunk. “What’s your point?! We lost her! There's no way she survived that fall!” Fred moved closer before saying ",You don’t know that! She obviously can’t go anywhere since we tied her up, if we backtrack we can probably find her.” Steve rolled his eyes, growling out ",Prey like her don’t last in this type weather. She'll freeze out there! And she sure as hell ain’t no good as dead.”

Fred wiped his face, stiff fur between his fingers. He hadn’t had a proper shower in forever. “Well neither are we!” He stepped closer to Steve, pulling him down. “Boss isn’t a fan of people who can’t get the job done. You know tanner, Steve. Someone told me he was scrapped. We met him once at a pick up. Big fella, Rhino. Likes to think he’s pred?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve waived him to continue. “He was 'sposed to take out Garcia’s group, get info on his location. He messed up big time, ended up having a run in with the police. He made it out somehow…,” Fred said eerily.“What’s your point?,” Steve asked impatiently. “My point _is_ , one of my buddies from the higher up told me what boss did to him after he messed up.” Steve’s ears perked up, curious for an answer. “What’d he do?”

Fred let out a breath. “Shot him, right then and there. Two bullets to the chest, and just let him- bleed out right there." Steve's ears lowered. “......what?” He asked flabbergasted. “Spezi, Lutzo! What’s taking you all so long?! Card game’s nearly over!,” Yelled a coyote from the crook of the cabin door. Steve looked at Fred for an answer.

“They're a fan of poker, Boss is. That’s what he means by card-” Steve let out a breath “That’s not what I’m-” He sighed. “Look, we’re gonna go in and tell boss the situation. Tell them we’ve got it handled, all we need to do is find our prey, pick her up, and bring her back to the cabin safe and sound. Plus, there’s no one around for miles ‘cept a gas station like for miles down the road, and she’s gagged. Ain’t nobody gonna hear her, got it?,” Said Steve.

 “Yeah, yeah. Sounds good. Don’t look too nervous, we got this,” Replied Fred, voice shaky. He adjusted the black sweatshirt he wore, letting out a breath. Boss wasn’t an idiot, he needed to be careful. They entered the small cabin as the otter opened the door for them. Warm air enveloped them and the sight of a poker table with several other team members around it came into view. A single restaurant style light hung over them.

 A few cougars sat around the table, along with a hawk, a black bear, and a rather frail looking vulture. At the end of the makeshift poker table sat a grey wolf in a striking red sweater. That was the boss. Her smile was all sharp teeth and ill will.  “Glad to see you two finally made it. How’s my guest fairing?,” She asked.

Fred’s heart pounded against his chest, he shifted his eyes up to Steve who didn’t seem to be doing any better. “Well?,” She questioned, eyeing them from across the room. Her frosty blue eyes bore into theirs, dissecting them. Fred nudged Steve’s leg, urging him to speak. Fred cleared his throat. “U-um boss. We sorta...ran into a complication mid transport…”

The sound of her nails drumming on the table filled the room. Then the sound of a chair scooting across the floorboards. The tall wolf began to make her way across the room before halting right before the bobcat. She towered over him, a sneer of a smile on her face. “A complication?,” She repeated.

Steve nodded his head, ears drooping. “Well,” She said breathily, “I sure hope this _complication_ doesn’t involves the death or dismemberment of my guest... After all, there will be  _no_ replacements," She told them, carefully looking at them both. Steve looked over to Fred for assistance, Fred shook his head, unsure of what to say.

Boss's patients ran rather thin when there were _complications_ in her plans.“Well?!” She yelled. Fred put his hands out. “L-look boss, we didn’t mean for it to turn out this way..” The wolf rolled her eyes, growling in annoyance before focusing back on them. "Turn out what way?" Steve bowed his head, failing to meet her eyes. "We...lost the cargo..," Quiet fury glowed in her eyes, her expression becoming scarily still.

Steve's eyes widened. "We really didn't mean it ta happen, boss!" She rolled her eyes, “Who _cares_ if you didn’t mean it! Because of you two idiots, we’ve lost our target and our leverage!” She threw her hand out to the animals surrounding the table. “These fine gentlemen came out of their way to meet us out of their generosity and interest in our plan. They’re risking the possible outcome of a FBI raid on this place being politicians and CEO’s of the largest pred run factories and you think you can just waltz in here and tell me you didn’t _mean_ it?!”

 The wolf sighed, signalling the otter who stood at the door to approach her. The otter held out a handgun for the wolf to take. She picked up the weapon, cocked it, and turned towards the large group surrounding the table. They flattened themselves to the back of their chairs in fear. “Relax,” She told them with a polite smile. “Oh, and mind the blood, will you?” She turned back to Fred and Steve.

“It seems I haven't done a proper job at- explaining to the other members of my company on what a grand scale this project is on..., and how easily this could aaalll fall about," She finished a she loaded her weapon. A sinister smile spread across her face when both their hands shot up. "Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to get rid of you both. Though I should, for how much you've shifted my plans..." She pointed the gun at Steve.

“This," She began and addressed all residents of the cabin. "Is what happens, when you fail to do as you are told," She told the trembling predators around her. Steve recognized there wasn’t a hint of a fraudulent tremor in her voice, yet took the chance to get away. He took off, pushing the otter from the door in surprise,  and wrapping his paws around the handle and attempting to pull at it before realizing it was locked.

“And where do you plan on going?” The boss asked in amusement as she approached him slowly. She pursed her dark lips in sympathy, tutting. "Now, Steve, I might've considered sparing you if you just accepted your fate. You know I don’t appreciate cowardice.” A shot rang in the air, then the light thump of a body hitting the floor. Fred stared at his partner as the blood pooled beneath him. His stomach churned, his ears rang, and he couldn’t help but get the ghastly feeling that he was next.

The boss lowered her weapon. “Alright then,” She said as if she hadn’t murdered someone a second ago. “Fred!” She called him out of his stupor. Fred turned to her, eyes wide with fear. “Wait, wait!”

The wolf raised a brow. She thought she might shoot him in a knee, thought having him crippled would make him even more useless. Perhaps shoot a finger off, pull some nails? She was in a creative mood that day. “B-because she’s not dead! The ransom! She fell out of the truck on our way down here, she should still be alive. A-all we gotta do is retrieve her,” Fred finished.

 The boss let out a breath as she examined what he said. “Why should I believe that you won’t hightail it out of here as soon as I let you go?,” She asked. He  _did_ just witness the death of his partner, perhaps she should've killed him as well. “Because,” He took a breath. “Because you would find some way to butcher me anyway…?” She pursed her dark lips before nodding slowly. “Seems you aren't so idiotic after all." She paused a second before she signaled the otter back over to retrieve her weapon.

“Look,you’ve completed jobs without failure for me before.” She gave Steve’s slumped form a disgusted look. “I don’t doubt that Steve here may have hindered your excursion to this place,” She told him. “I’ll give you another chance to prove you aren’t expendable. Find that singing deer, or whatever-" She waved her paw around "-and bring her back. She’s worth millions more alive than dead…” The boss turned back to her wide eyed and shaking guests.

 “I apologize for the unsightliness the punishment my former employee received, but I assure you, it was all necessary.  And as I stated earlier, we will still receive the ransom money we all agreed to. Is that understood? Fred couldn’t tell if the bigwigs were nodding out of fear or agreement. Couldn’t say he would do anything different in their situation. “Spectacular!,” She cried, then turned to address her two other men. “Lorenzo and Hopkins will come with you. If you run into trouble, you know what to do,” She told them in a serious tone.

 The coyote and mountain lion nodded at each other, exiting the cabin. Fred started to follow them before feeling a strong paw grip his shoulder. “Don’t disappoint me,” Fred heard the boss say before she loosened her grip. Still facing away, Fred nodded before scurrying out the door. It was do or die at this point.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a story including some sort of gang operation or at least gang activity. Not sure if this is accurate enough but I suppose I'm writing in a universe full of talking animals, so it shouldn't be too far off. If you enjoyed, don't hesitate to leave a kudo or a comment to tell that ya liked it! Definitely more to come~  
> -Sicario/Audacieux


	4. Gentle Giant

The faint sound of low quality country music drifted through Gazelle’s head as she began to wake up. Her head pounded and brought on a dull headache , the bright lights and white ceiling aiding its intensity.

 

The smell of cheap snack foods hit her nose, and it twitched in response. In the edge of her vision she could see her frazzled blonde hair, tainted and crusty with dried blood. She reached up to her eye, still feeling the swollen skin around it just as it was the day before. She snatched it back quickly, realizing her wrists were now unbound.

Gazelle sat up quickly, hurting her body, and making her head in the process. She was still sore all over, even after getting some much needed rest, though she preferred her soft mattress and satin sheets in her Sahara mansion to a cheap, plastic table in a gas station. It hurt to bend over, she could feel her ribs grind together every time she attempted to lean forward a bit, but she needed to see the state of her legs before thinking about moving around too much. She looked down to see one of her hooves poorly bandaged, and the other straightened and wrapped with a ruler.

 _Odd choice in medical equipment, but she supposed she was in no real position to complain._ Her attention was ripped away from her as the large form of a bear pushed through the small door to the room, back first as she pushed open the cheap wooden door, just barely ducking her head under the frame.The bear struggled, carrying packs of ice to her before setting them down on the floor to the left of Gazelle.

“Oh!,” She exclaimed, out of breath. The grizzly didn’t seem to be in exceptional shape like the stories Gazelle heard of their exceptional strength and vigor….., and violence. She thought it a rarity to see one this close to the city. Tammy smiled politely upon noticing Gazelle’s calculating gaze. “You’re awake, thank god. I thought you bled out there for a sec.” She scratched her neck nervously, Gazelle took notice of the large metal collar that fit tightly around it with a dangerous looking piece of technology sealed to the front.

“Sorry if I freaked you out at first, even here it’s rare to see a pred managing a store out out here by themselves, so I thought you might be a bit surprised;…..you probably weren’t wondering that at all.” She gave Gazelle’s legs a nervous look. “You probably had more important things to worry about…”  She twiddled her large thumbs, looking down.Gazelle stared at her uneasily, confused yet slightly comforted at the awkward manner in which the bear approached her. She definitely felt a lot less intimidation than earlier.

The bear smiled shyly, hesitantly holding out her large paw. “Hi…, I’m Tammy. It’s such an excitement to finally meet you even if-, you did stumble in here bleeding. I-I’m really not good with blood.” She ended eerily. Gazelle nodded slowly, finding herself more comfortable than not in her presence.

Tammy’s face lit up, trying to lift the mood. “I’m a bit of a fan. It was a miracle I knew who you were at all, not that I wouldn’t help you of course.” She pointed to herself as she spoke, emphasizing her head and eye. “At first I didn’t recognize you, ya know? The black eye and busted horns kinda covered it up. Whoever it was that did this to you, they gave you a real beating,“ She told her, grimacing.

Gazelle nodded again, a black eye and a cracked horn was better than a slit throat or whatever the hell those thugs were planning to do with her. She almost refrained from speaking before realizing the painful tug of her snout had disappeared and she could finally speak properly. “I-I-,” She started. The bear cut her off before Gazelle let the dams break.

“Shhh, it’s alright.” Tammy hesitated before she spoke. “I already saw the news story, you must’ve been so afraid, going through all that….can’t even imagine.” She moved her small black eyes down to gazelle’s legs. “I patched you up the best I could, but you’re gonna have to go see a professional for that broken ankle of yours…,” Tammy told her with all honesty, pointing down at her ankle.

“ _Broken?”_ Asked Gazelle incredulously. The bear nodded her head sadly. “Seems like they were pretty eager for you to not be able to walk. You sure showed them, didn’t ya? No way I’d be moving around with injuries like that.There isn't a building 'round here for miles actually... Just how far _did_ you walk? Or crawl?!" Tammy looked at Gazelle with utter horror.

Gazelle put her hooves on her face. “I know you might not be able to tell me what happened to you, be it that it was probably a traumatic experience…, but I’m here if you need to get it off your chest,” Tammy ended quietly, though she was the one with a hopeful look on her face rather than Gazelle.

Save the story for the public, the police department, her sponsors. There was nothing to gain from spilling her story to this... _stranger._ She’d save the tears for those who needed to see them, to punish those damn criminals for putting her in this shape. Two weeks of rest and a couple of scheduled spa appointments, and she’d be back to a life of songwriting and daily spa appointments.

A broken ankle, in all honesty, was a small price to pay for escaping probable death or dismemberment even if she might have disturbing nightmares for some time after this. She was in safe hands now. Well, _hopefully_ anyways. While this was all a very satisfying break from the life or death situation she faced hours before, she couldn't help but feel exposed without her security team lining the perimeter of the building.

Unfortunately, she'd have to make the best of what she had. She might not have the most experience with predators, but she knew decent animal when she saw one, and Tammy was no exception. She  _did_ just meet the bear, but she had already shown so much kindness in such an absurd situation. Surely most predators wouldn't help prey due to the decades of oppression they suffered through, so she had no reason to see Tammy in a bad light.

“Oh, and um I have some clothes you can wear,” The bear told her as she pointed at a shirt left on the spotless desk in front of them. “I imagine that blood soaked robe isn't too comfortable,” She noted with sympathy in her voice. Gazelle raised an eyebrow at the sheer size of the piece of clothing.  _Shirt? More like a dress,_  Thought Gazelle. Tammy looked at the shirt bitterly as she spoke, "It's a shame that's all we have, really.

Seeing you in all those dazzling outfits in the magazines makes me feel like I'm giving you toilet paper to dress in." Tammy turned her gaze back to gazelle covering her snout as if she said something wrong. "Not that you don't look great in everything, of course," She corrected. "I'm sure the police will arrive with something more comfortable tomorrow," Tammy tried to assure her. 

Gazelle chuckled inwardly, as her woozy state must've caused her to incorrectly hear what Tammy just said. “Tomorrow?,” She questioned, throat still scratchy and sore. The bear nodded, her curly hair bouncing around her face as she continued. “Yes ma'am. Believe it or not, we somehow don't have a phone all the way out here."

Tammy continued nonchalantly, "Funny story, my last manager was in a fuss and decided to rip the phone right out of the wall. Which, unfortunately, was the only one we had. She installed it when she first came, and after the regional manager fired her. Well, she took it right back with her. Good riddance, I say. I somehow always managed to upset her from the tiniest of things..” Tammy furrowed her eyebrows, putting a paw to her chin. “She had such an absurd amount of anger for a rabbit.”

Ripping a phone out of a wall was a bit  _crazy,_ Gazelle will admit. However, there must be a police station fairly close. Gazelle remembers seeing an old truck parked beside the gas station as she approached it earlier. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for remembering such a thing while being on the verge of passing out. "What about the truck outside?" Gazelle mentioned, causing Tammy's ears to perk up. They settled after a second, and she gave Gazelle a sympathetic look. "Of all times we needed it too," She muttered. 

Tammy sighed. "It doesn't work," She told her. Gazelle's heart dropped, her form slumping. "It's been here ever since I first came." Tammy scratched her head. "It's pretty much a paperweight. We only keep it around, because the company doesn't want to pay the towing cost. Especially with how dangerous roads are around here, I think one or two trucks were wrecked in just this past month," She muttered mostly to herself. 

"T-then how do you get here? You obviously didn't walk here!" She cried hysterically, though Tammy didn't seem phased as she laughed and smiled. “I always work through the night shift and the first hours of the day till my brother comes and picks me up. Lucy, she's a coyote, comes and covers for me," She tells Gazelle. Gazelle’s eyes widen at the light sense of humor the bear seems to possess when in a situation such as this.  “Tammy, I've been kidnapped, you understand that?” She asks in a calm, yet panicked voice.

The bear seems taken aback and she retreats, making herself smaller, if that was even possible for a creature her size. “Y-yes, I understand,” She replies in a small voice. "And do you think-," Gazelle begins. "-that I can wait until  _tomorrow,_ to get proper medical care?! Do you think that with all this time, the men who kidnapped me won't have time to run away? Someone else could be subjected to this if I don't say something Tammy!"

Gazelle feels a bit of regret for that last part, since her reason for getting worked up was mostly from her own foul state of well-being. Tammy shrinks back a little more. "I did my best, I checked all over, and I disinfected all your cuts," She tells Gazelle quietly. Then she looks down, twiddling her paws. "I wasn't able to get all the gravel out..., b-but I have plenty of pain medication, so the wait won't be too painful!" She says in a hopeful voice.

Tammy looks down. "I'm afraid this is all I-  _we_ could do. If there was any other option, I'd know it...," Tammy tells her solemnly. "Aye!,” Gazelle shouts, deflating. “Just my luck ..” Gazelle waves her hoof around as she speaks, "I-Isn’t there any place down the road we can drive to? I mean _walk_ to?,” Gazelle asks. 

 Tammy perks up at her inquiry. "Actually, there's a couple of miles from here!" Gazelle shuffles her best towards Tammy. "Yes!" She shouts excitedly. "We can go there!" Tammy chuckles a bit. "You wanna go back out there? Really? Gazelle, this might be hard to hear, but you barely made your way here without passing out," Tammy tells her. "It's gonna drop below freezing, and I'm sorry, but you'll freeze to death before making it there. Not to mention you can barely walk.."

Gazelle's heart sinks and she asks Tammy softly, "You're not coming with me?" Tammy tightens her dark lips before looking down. "I'm sorry, Gazelle. I can't abandon my post for a shot in the dark like this," She replies before looking up. "A-and I'm not going to risk your safety. I could try and make it down there myself, yes, but I can't leave you here by yourself."

"I did my best to patch you up, but if something happens that I didn't notice before, you could be in real danger. By the time the police arrive anyway, they'll see the state you're in and start pointing fingers." Tammy rubs her face, sighing. "And I'm sorry, but city cops aren't really known for their kindness for animals like myself..."

Gazelle nodded absently, soaking in what Tammy just said. She certainly witnessed what relationship authorities and predators had, and it wasn't something she wanted to unintentionally bring upon Tammy. A feeling of persistence washed over her before vanishing at Tammy's pitiful expression. It seems she wouldn't be making it home as soon as she wanted. “Unbelievable,” Gazelle throws her hands up in frustration as tears return to her face. The fur around her face dampens a little, and she tries desperately to wipe it away.

 Tammy still looked a bit uncomfortable, but still tried to comfort the poor Gazelle. She reached her paw out to Gazelle’s arms. “It’s gonna be okay. It’s just till tomorrow, though it might be a bit frustrating to be stuck with lil’ old me,” She chuckled. "It's only for a little while, just until my shift ends. M-maybe the weather might even clear up! It's always changing up here, anyway!" Tammy told her.

 But Gazelle had about enough of Tammy’s happy go lucky attitude and shoved her paw away. “Please just- just leave me alone….” She didn’t want to stay in a grimy old gas station for another ten hours with, _Tammy._ Not if she had to endure this forced companionship for the sake of decency. She was a pop star. Perhaps she was too used to getting things she wanted right away for too long in just the beginning of her career. But, she worked for it. Unlike all the others with their parents paying for their fame into their thirties.

Gazelle shifted her eyes to Tammy. She frankly wonders if larger predators are more irritating.Tammy had clearly noticed the annoyed look she was receiving, and she absently rubbed her paw, shifting her eyes away. “I’m gonna go back to my post now… I brought you some ice in case you want to put it on that eye of yours…,” Tammy lifted the absurdly large bag, setting it next to Gazelle. Tammy didn't seem to question the size, though Gazelle assumed it was common with other large predators such as she. 

Tammy huffed, lifting herself up and making her way through the doorway once again. “Just tell me if you need anything,” She told her quietly, waiting a second for Gazelle to give some sort of reply before leaving.

She didn’t deserve Gazelle’s shoved off anger, Gazelle knew that. And as much as she tried to fight off the thought because of Tammy’s friendly demeanor, it still didn’t sit well with her that she was trapped here with an animal four times her size without contact from the city. Her manager must be worried senseless, not to mention the public. Her career was just taking off, no doubt people would panic.

Gazelle took a deep breath. She wouldn't start writing off Tammy as dangerous just because she was a predator. She suffered enough of that sort of thing in her own environment. She always felt discomfort in prey only districts. They say it’s simply a precaution, nothing too drastic to disrupt the social spectrum.But she knew those animals, she has indulged in their trivial conversations, and she has heard them speak. An old widow with a lovey villa beside her’s talked flippantly about predators like they were ghastly beasts, creatures who would maul prey at first sight if it weren’t for those frightful shock collars squeezed around their pitiful necks.

That kind of technology, poised around the necks of _ten_ percent of the entire population, could and is abused more than anyone, prey or not, could imagine. Too often, she saw the disturbing broadcasts of  the sporadically seizing and stiff bodies of predators who had been cornered by corrupt law enforcement for petty crimes or even for simply looking in their direction.Police would mention a struggle, and display of violence by the “perpetrator”, twistedly justifying the use of the shock collar. Gazelle knew better. She knew the inner workings of their corrupted, closed of sense of morality. She _knew_ it was wrong. Yet, she remained voiceless and ignorant.

After all, she was obligated to show them the same treatment. As much as it urged her to speak out on this injustice, her career would take a large hit, as well as her sponsors who were, unsurprisingly, all prey. This career was all she had, it was everything. One blunder, and the only thing she truly valued in her life would be gone in an instant. She was a slave to the standards of their twisted society, blissfully ignorant of the atrocities committed outside her gated life.

Perhaps she deserved her attempted kidnapping. Gazelle stared blankly at the wall, still lost in her thoughts. Her eyes wandered to a large digital clock far above her. It was still just four in the morning, and it wouldn’t be until a few hours later that the sun would start to rise and her rescue would be en route. Perhaps she should try and warm up to Tammy, at least be on friendly terms when the police arrive

She was afraid that the officers would use more than just the shock collar to bring her down if they suspected any foul play. Maybe she could stand watching it happen to unfamiliar predators on the daily news, but not her. Tammy was a nice girl, a decent medic, and impeccably friendly for Gazelle’s first real meeting with a predator. She’d make sure Tammy would be left alone, maybe even rewarded.

Gazelle nodded to herself, smiling as she envisioned her near future. Hopefully, nothing woul- _could_ go wrong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Haven't updated in a while because I decided to procrastinate on my summer reading, (Which I still haven't finished) but there is more to come! 
> 
> -Sicario/Audacieux


	5. Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gazelle tries not to let anything or anyone get to her, it does. Luckily Tammy provides a listening ear and some painkillers.

Around an hour later Gazelle was still laying on the hard, plastic table that Tammy had laid her down on when she fist arrived. Gazelle laid on her back, absently picking off dried blood from her fur to distract herself. Tammy, the kind bear that attempted to nurse her earlier, had swiftly left the room after Gazelle snapped at her in a fit of frustration. Gazelle managed to keep up her pissy mood for about thirty seconds afterward until the logical part of her brain kicked in.

The gossiping old goats at the charity auctions she used attend always bombarded Gazelle with narrow minded advice fit only from the closeted and rich of society. They said, “When confronted by a predator, prey gain the inability to think logically. The only options left are fight flight.” In her younger days, Gazelle would shiver at the possibility.

Then the goats would shiver as well in amusement, chuckling at Gazelle’s distress, and go back to drinking their expensive champagne served by the very predators they spoke about that wore the very same collars their families created and became wealthy on years ago. Speaking about predators as if they were monsters while living off the literal oppression of predators, Gazelle couldn’t possibly listen to such hypocrisy.

She stared blankly at the stark white walls of the room. After a minute or two, she realized she was quite tired of laying on such an uncomfortable surface, and struggled to sit up as she felt her ribs grinding together. The lower part of her back hurt quite a bit from the tumble she took earlier, and the potential of a broken or bruised rib didn’t much help her thoughts.

She groaned, letting out a choked shout as she tried to find a comfortable position to lean against the wall behind the table. She settled for her slumped position after the pain became too much. She could really use the painkillers Tammy had in her big box of medical supplies, but the thought of crossing the office to get there made her think otherwise.

Luckily, it seems Tammy had heard her short struggle, and the sound of the door creaking open shoved Gazelle out of her thoughts.  Tammy paused, her snout peaking through the crack as she spoke. “I thought I’d leave you alone for a bit since you seemed upset earlier.” She paused. “B-but I heard you struggling in here, and I figured you must be in pain...”  
  
Gazelle let out a breath. She yelled at Tammy earlier, and the only thing the bear is concerned about his Gazelle’s pain. She almost wants to cringe at how pure she is. Gazelle breathes in and collects herself before saying, “Dios mio, come in Tammy.”

She could see the droopy lips of Tammy perk up, and she smiled a bit at the sight. Tammy’s hulking form came clamoring in, politely smiling at Gazelle before hurrying to lean down and dig through her medical supplies. “I’ve got painkillers, some numbing cream, and something that’ll help you sleep if the pain is too much,” Tammy told her.

“Time will definitely pass by a lot faster that way,” She laughed quietly. Gazelle sighed once again before tapping her hoof on the table to get Tammy’s attention. The bear turned slowly, setting her pitiful gaze on her. Gazelle gave her a small smile. “I apologize for earlier, Tammy. I was just really worked up, and this has _never_ happened before. I’ve always had tight security for crazy fans or paparazzi but- “

It was starting to sound like she was making excuses, but the way Tammy was nodding her head as she spoke provoked her to keep going. “I’ve never been kidnapped or _beaten_ before.” She laughed hysterically. “I feel like if I were anyone else I’d be crying my eyes out, trying to get the feeling of hurt out of my mind. The adrenaline rush hasn’t faded which is probably why I’m not in a lot of pain. And hell, I just thought after I escaped I’d be free and safe in some hospital in no time…” Gazelle let out a breath. “It was never going be that easy, right?”

Tammy lowered her head. “Yeah,” She said. “Not out here at least.” They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or two before Tammy finally spoke. “You really don’t have to apologize to me, I don’t even know half the situation you were in. I’ve never been kidnapped, so I wouldn’t know the feeling. I really don’t have any right to be upset at you.”  
  
Gazelle shrugged and smiled. “I’ve just never- let anything get to me. I think that’s what angered me the most.” Gazelle was telling the truth, years of people slandering her name or using the fact that she was a foreigner against her taught her to deflect their attacks. Otherwise she’d spend the same time she would worrying over what others thought of her and her insecurities.

Next thing she knew she felt a tablet fall into her hand, and she looked up to see big black eyes waiting expectantly. Seems she was stuck in her thoughts. She looked at the tablet, marveling at its size. “Um, thanks Tammy. I appreciate it, but do you have anything smaller that I could take?”

Tammy smiled empathetically. “I’m afraid that’s the only size I have since its meant for large predators like myself.” Tammy shifted her eyes in thought for a second before springing up and hurrying to the door. “What is it?” Gazelle asked curiously.

Tammy turned around saying, “I can get a plastic knife to cut it in half, or even smaller?”, before making her way out the door. Gazelle heard her yell, “If we do the math right, I think it’ll be the right dose!”, from behind the door. Gazelle nodded before reaching up to absently touch her right horn before she swiped her hand to find nothing was there. Confused, she reached down towards the base to feel that it was rather stunted and jagged?

“Tammy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to write when you're uninspired. Hell, it's hard to do anything when you're uninspired. I rarely am, but it doesn't stop me from getting around to trying. Look forward to future chapters, and happy reading! :-)


	6. Don't Pick Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy discovers her previous co-worker's left behind cellphone is ringing. It'd only be polite to pick up, right?

After convincing Gazelle that her broken horn was not the end of her career, and sort of failing miserably, Tammy got her calm enough to take some pain medication and ease her mind a bit. Part of Gazelle’s hysteria has a chance to do with her painful state of condition. Not long after, Gazelle fell asleep, although sniffling. Perhaps later Tammy can talk to Gazelle about implanted horns. There _must_ be horn implants with how much prey adore theirs. Maybe there was a chance they could grow back? Tammy sighed. She’d save her pondering for later. She still had her job to do after all.

Tammy sat behind the plastic window surrounding the register, tapping her finger and glancing to the back office every so often. By every so often, it was more around ten seconds. Gazelle passed out shortly after she gave her the pill she cut in half, Tammy tried her best to lay her down, so she wouldn’t wake up with a sore neck.

Unfortunately, plastic tables didn’t contribute much to comfort. Tammy sighed, looking at the clock wouldn’t make time go any faster. She just wanted Gazelle to wake up, so she could rest assured didn’t accidentally put her in a small coma.

Not only because she’s prey, and Tammy would be arrested on sight if she called the authorities, but because she was sort of, kind of, areallybigfanofGazelle. She bought all her albums, played them on repeat while working through her long shifts, and occasionally found herself clumsily dancing while refilling the fridges.

It’d be shitty if her favorite singer died while in her care and laying on a plastic table. Tammy sulked a little at the aspect of not having any decent furniture in the obvious. The best thing she had was the very chair she was sitting in, and the broken-down truck outside whose seats were comfortable to lounge in near the summertime.

Neither of the two were valid options unfortunately. Even so, she wishes she had more to offer. She always dreamed of meeting Gazelle under more… appropriate circumstances, but the probability of it happening of happening was always quite dim to her. She certainly didn’t have the money to buy VIP tickets, and prods usually weren’t “allowed” into concerts anyway.

Her mom bought a ticket to see her favorite Jazz artist live, but security wouldn’t let her in because they deemed her size to be far too large for entry. Her mom was maybe half her size, and would’ve agreed to sit on the stairs if they let her. The story poked a hole in Tammy’s confidence, and she allowed herself to be satisfied with listening to Gazelle’s new hits over the radio.

She honestly didn’t know the broken looking prey animal that limped into her gas station was Gazelle at first, how could she? Hair soaked in blood, wrapped in a thin robe, no makeup, and a broken horn? Tammy nearly thought the prey animal was homeless (She would still offer help, of course.) except for the recognizable accent and the familiar features of a face she saw on weekly magazines. She obviously couldn’t reveal her small obsession for her, she didn’t want her anymore afraid than she already was.

If Gazelle had the choice in who she could seek help from, Tammy wouldn’t be her first choice. She was a rather large predator after all, being a Grizzly. Surprisingly, Gazelle approached Tammy first. It relieved Tammy that Gazelle didn’t twist her face in disgust or fear when she woke up and Tammy entered.

Tammy tapped her stunted nails against the counter, willing herself out of her thoughts before she built the encouragement to barge into the office, ask Gazelle for an autograph, and embarrass herself. The bear sighed. Maybe in the future, if preds become more accepted in society, she can ask Gazelle for an autograph at a concert she could attend without consequence.

Tammy was forced out of her daydream when the burner phone hidden under the counter buzzed, making its way all the way to the floor in urgency. She panicked, knocking magazines off and nearly breaking her favorite mug to scramble and retrieve the phone, and flipping it open to answer with a shaky, “Hello?”  
  
There was silence on the other line before a voice came through, gruff with an upper state accent. “Who the hell is this?” They asked. Tammy shook her head, “More like who the hell are _you_?” Amy never mentioned having a phone before …

The voice let out a breath, obviously frustrated. “Where’s Amy?” _He_ asked. Tammy relaxed, Amy must’ve left her cell phone there on accident, though she’s not sure why she neglected to come back for it. Cellphones were rather expensive, hence why Tammy’s measly salary doesn’t grant her the liberty of purchasing one without risk of being unable to pay rent monthly. “She doesn’t work here anymore,” Tammy answers in a flat voice, about to hang up the phone before the voice on the other line curses in frustration.

Whomever it was seemed rather frustrated. She could hear murmuring in the background of the call, quiet voices harshly whispering, “She was our only prey contact in this area! How the hell will we find her now?”  She heard a deeper voice with a nervous tremor. “Boss ain’t gonna be happy, she’s gonna scrap you for losing the contact.” Another voice hushed the one before, “Shut up, that ain’t funny. Don’t act like you won’t be punished too!”

 _Boss? Scraped? Contact?_ Tammy, herself, didn’t have much experience with gangs. Back in middle school, many tried to recruit her because of her hulking frame and their need for muscle to scare other gangs off, but one could rarely call a huddle of twelve-year-olds a _gang._ An uncomfortable feeling manifested in her chest, nudging her to end the call immediately and maybe even give Amy a call to clear things up before she assumed her former employer was involved in something far beyond Tammy thought she was capable. It sure explained why she left in such a manner, quickly without a single goodbye.

“Weell if that’s all you called for- “Wait, wait, wait, we just need to ask a few- we need some info?” He told her. “Info?” Tammy repeated back. She mentally slapped herself for not hanging up the second they began to mutter among themselves.

“Yeah, um, I know this might sound a bit odd, but um- I’m the owner of a transportation service company and a very important client of mine was supposed to arrive at her destination around four hours ago. They’ve yet to arrive and I have been unable to get in contact with my driver.” Tammy was starting to grow suspicious as the voice she was listening to gain more eloquence than before. “We found the vehicle on the side of the road earlier; the drive was knocked unconscious and our client is nowhere to be found. As desperate as this situation seems, we’d like to avoid a fair amount of legal trouble and find the client as soon as possible to clear up any potential misunderstanding.”  
  
“Uh huh,” Tammy replied dumbly. She had a bad feeling about this. She could hear the guy sigh. “To make things short, we were wondering if you’ve seen our client. A gazelle about five feet in height, blonde hair, horns, dressed in a robe of sorts?”

 Tammy froze. _Gazelle_ was the missing client. Hold on. Even so, why the hell would Amy have the number of the owner of some transportation company? Was the owner the boss they were speaking of? If this guy knows where the gas station is, why would Gazelle be traveling out here in the middle of nowhere? Tammy knew all of Gazelle’s tour dates and locations, there were no major cities near here in the middle of nowhere, and even if there was, taking an airplane would be far safer and obtainable for Gazelle seeing as tickets were sold out everywhere.

Yet, Gazelle had yet to tell her what happened. She was clearly hurt by someone or something according to the few words she had been able to utter. While her injuries were weird, a car accident could’ve been the cause, especially the broken horn. She obviously had a head injury that could lead to memory loss and confusion which gives reason to her running away if she mistook the driver as some kidnapper. There was a world of possibilities Tammy could ponder, but this man needed an answer and the outcome could be better or worse.

Tammy sighed, running a paw through the short fur layering her head. She muted the phone. Even if she did believe the guy, she couldn’t believe that putting Gazelle, who might have head trauma, into the hands of a transportation service who wanted to avoid legal issues due to whatever accident they may have had. There were roots far safer than this and having such an important client should’ve prompted them to make the decision to take another root, even if it takes more time.

“Sorry,” She told them after a moment. “I was checking the security footage for any traffic or movement outside. I haven’t seen anything or anyone myself, and the only cam we have outside isn’t showing anything.” Her voice shook a little, but she hoped they failed to notice. She was still wary of believing their story after all. Gazelle’s a superstar of the music industry. She might have an ocean of fans, but there is still plenty of jumping at the chance to destroy her.

Tammy heard a groan on the other line before the voice forced out a thank you and promptly hung up the phone. She let out a held breath, her fur still standing on end. After calming her beating heart. She deserved a long, hot bath and some time to soak things in after taking in her most beloved idol and then receiving a suspicious call who adamant of seeking out said idol who was mysteriously beaten to a pulp by something or _someone_ earlier.

After spending ten minutes on how to work Amy’s phone, she successfully turned off the cellular to stop any more calls coming through. For now, she needs to build up the courage to talk to Gazelle again and maybe even probe some info on what happened earlier out of her.

 

Immediately after the animal over the phone tossed Fred some bullshit answer, he groaned and ended the call. “She’s lying.” He told the curious predators behind him.

“What? _Why_? How do you even know that?” Asked the coyote.

Frank pushed the clunky phone into his jacket pocket. “Because there _are_ no security cameras at that gas station. Amy kept me updated in case we needed to use it. Even if they did install them, hours of footage take forever to go through. She was panicking, no doubt.”  Fred reached in his back pocket, pulling out a map and drawing his claw across the road which led to the small gas station.

“Chances are she’s already there, and whoever we were talking with on the phone knew something was up.” Fred grabbed his handgun which was conveniently taped under the driver seat and tucked it under his shirt in case the animal they were about to confront didn’t plan to be friendly. Amy mentioned her co-worker didn’t have a car, so even if things do go sideways, they have no other witnesses. The prey animal was beaten up, she wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.

“C’mon. Boss doesn’t want us wasting time,” Fred told the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back with another update in I don't know how long because I'm too much of a weenie to actually look and accept that I'm a procrastinator. I got a rare bit of inspiration and I'm using it while I can. Enjoy!
> 
> \- Sicario/Audacieux


End file.
